We’ve all heard and seen the statistics - shopping cart abandonment has reached epidemic levels with some sources quoting up to 40% of checkouts ending without a conversion.
Irrespective of the loss in revenue, the likelihood of a repeat purchase from these users is also slim to say the least.
So how do we fix this problem? Single-page checkouts have proven again and again to work better. Online customers have little or no patience when it comes to form-filling and security procedures. Asking them to fill in several pages can lead to them getting frustrated and clicking away.
Unfortunately some payment services such as Mastercard’s 3D secure insist on multi-page checkout, leaving the site developers with no option but to implement this format, but the site owners can vote with their business by choosing options that do not insist on this level of security.
3D secure can be problematic due to forgotten passwords, time taken to fill in the forms, additional fees incurred, etc. It may sell itself on customer confidence, but is it working?
No, in our opinion - and that of an increasing majority on internet platforms. An A/B test carried out on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics online store showed that the simple, one-page checkout increased conversion rates by 21.8% over the multi-page version (based on a 50-50 split of users).
One-page checkouts just make sense. They’re quicker, easier, appeal to the online user mentality and provide a higher conversion rate. It’s a no-brainer!
This problem also applies to multi-page versus single-page forms. The single-page registration process (as in single-page payment processes) tend to be more successful as the users can see the entire form immediately, are less suspicious of the time it will take to complete and are less likely to bounce-from / leave the process half way through.
They can also see all of the questions in advance, make amendments/adjustments without having to return to previous pages, and are more likely to follow through to the end.
So, whilst multi-page checkout and form submissions may offer additional security and the ability to source more information, if the user is likely to abandon prior to completion, then what’s the point. If your system allows for single-page processes, then stick with it. You’ll benefit in the long run.
Small Business Finance Website Launched by Minister John Perry TD
Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry T.D., launched the Small Business Finance website, a joint initiative by the Irish Banking Federation (IBF) and Chambers Ireland, at an event in the National Gallery, Dublin.
Supported by additional content from sponsors Eversheds, Mazars and Energia, the Small Business Finance website is an open resource for small businesses of all backgrounds and at various stages of development on business planning and financial management.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry T.D, said:
“Ireland’s small business sector has thrived in the past and the Small Business Finance website is a sign of our innovative and enterprising ability for the future. Having addressed the information gap between larger business or financial organisations and the small business sector previously it is highly encouraging to see some of Ireland’s most capable businesses work together to create such a valuable resource, not just for the small businessman, but for Ireland’s overall economy. I commend those who have put such hard work into it and look forward to witnessing the rewards”.
We have just launched the new Auris Hybrid Microsite for Toyota Ireland.
Packed full of informative detail, the site also features the ten Auris Hybrid TV ads that are currently being aired.
Toyota just recently delivered its 400,000th hybrid in Europe - an Auris Hybrid. It was handed over to Valentine Nkwocha in Anderlecht (Belgium) as a company car from his employer CTG, an IT-consultancy.
To date, Toyota has sold more than 3.5 million hybrid vehicles worldwide, representing a reduction of more than 23 million tons of CO2. Following the recent European Commission results confirming the industry leadership of Toyota Motor Europe with the lowest fleet-wide average CO2 emissions in Europe in 2010, Toyota will offer even more choice for hybrid vehicles in 2012 when the new seven-seater Toyota Prius+ and Prius Plug-in Hybrid join the Prius to make up the Prius Family.
Launched in 2011, the New Yaris will soon be offered as a full hybrid version when the Yaris Hybrid makes its market debut later this year.
We would like to wish all of our clients and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Thanks to everyone for your continued business - it’s been a pleasure and we look forward to continuing the relationship in 2012.
This year, instead of sending cards or gifts, we have made a charitable donation to the ISPCC Christmas Appeal.
Last Christmas, 40% of children’s calls went unanswered due to a severe lack of resources. Over 90% of the income needed to fund the ISPCC services to children comes from the general public in Ireland.
For some children, Christmas is just another day to fear.
As a producer of irresistible Irish country & lifestyle clothing & accessories, Jack Murphy required a website that matched their classical product with a contemporary twist.
Framework Design designed and developed a modern, classic website that made best use or their beautiful photography and clearly showcases the product range.
Extremely user-friendly and with many options to interact with the brand, the site will see further development as part of Phase Two in the new year.
So check back to keep abreast of the Jack Murphy online brand story. To view full project details, click here.
With an award for ‘IP Firm of the Year’ already in their clutches, Tomkins approached us to help them achieve an online brand presence that matched their reputation in their field.
Our main challenge was to establish distinct navigational channels and provide relevant content and calls to action for their main client markets.
It was also important that the site did not follow the usual design formula for Intellectual Property firms, but established Tomkins as a modern, experienced and approachable firm.
You can view the project details, see the work and link to their site from here.
Established in Dublin in 1998 Setanta Asset Management Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Life Irish Holding Company Limited, is a dedicated value manager who invest clients’ money by following a ‘value’ framework laid out by Benjamin Graham.
Framework Design redesigned and developed their website to provide an attractive, professional and user-intuitive interface, bringing the focus on product to the fore and introducing clear calls to action.
The new site has successfully improved the navigational flow and ease of use and enhances the user experience.
We have just launched a new site for Patrick J Farrell & Company, Solicitors.
This new website breaks the mold of your typical law firm site, incorporating interactive elements such as video, downloadable fact sheets and intuitive calls to action.
High-grade photography place a personal face to this multi-disciplinary law firm based in County Kildare.
We worked closely with the team to provide a site that utilises video, defines the firm’s personality and provides useful information to the site visitor.
The Give Irish Craft website, developed on behalf of the Crafts Council of Ireland, has had a face lift.
Re-designed to incorporate the new orange colour-scheme it has also been updated with many new makers and products.
This season the focus is on celebrating Irish designer makers and new work featured includes Klickity’s innovative range of interior giftware and Jenny Walsh’s functional art.
Recently released data from Google has highlighted some interesting trends in web usage world-wide. Taken from all websites which have opted-in anonymous data sharing with Google Analytics (hundreds of thousands), the metrics are statistically significant. The figures supplied are from comparisons between November 1, 2010 and February 1, 2011.
Firstly, compared with a year ago, websites have seen reduced pages / visits (-0.4), average time on site (-0:26) as well as bounce rate (-1.2%).
Referral traffic has been hit the hardest in reference to average time on site (—1:48) and bounce rates (-1.1%), but has seen increased pages / visits (+0.1).
There has been an increase in all Traffic sources (apart from referral) with Search engines seeing the strongest increase (+1.0%) followed by Direct and Other (both at +0.3%).
Windows is still the most popular Operating System but has seen a reduction (-5.1%), while Mac (+0.7%) and Linux (+0.1%) have both seen increases.
You may have noticed a prevalence of square-shaped barcode like images popping up all over the place. They’re in shop windows, on our TV screens, on packaging and increasingly appearing in advertising.
Quick Response (or QR for short) codes are readable two-dimensional barcodes arranged in a square pattern on a white background. They can be used to encode text, URLs or other data.
Hugely popular in Japan, where they’ve been used for years, they allow product or company related data to be decoded at high-speed. Ireland is only recently adopting this technology and with the advent of free QR Code readers available for all Smart Phones, it seems they’re here to stay.
Once you have downloaded a QR reader to your smart phone, you can then quickly scan any QR code and capture the encoded data and view or save to your device. This may be your vCard contact information, a link to your site or an email.
More recently custom QR codes have begun to appear where brands have added logos and designs within the coded box. It is possible to alter the image to include your specific design, up to 30% in some cases, and for the code to still be readable.
You can do this by going to any paid or free QR generator (just search on your preferred engine). Two well known options are KAYWA and ZXing. Most ask what data you want to encode, which you then enter. Once this is complete you simply download the image or embed with the provided URL.
To manipulate the image simply open the image in PhotoShop (or other graphics application) and make the required amends. It will take a little trial and error to ensure that your code is still readable, but you should be able to make some interesting versions for inclusion on your site, your business cards or even for POS material or signage. You can even manipulate the shapes by changing colour, embossing or rounding the edges. Just have fun with it.
If you’d like us to develop a personalised QR code on your behalf, just contact us here
Congratulations to all the team at Meteor who took the Grand Prix Award at the inaugural Bord Gáis Irish Socila Media Awards. Their campaign was deemed to have demonstrated the best overall use of social media.
They also picked up two category awards in the ‘Integrated Social Media Campaign’ and the ‘Facebook Page for a Business (owner managed)’.
“It is great to see such well deserving companies be commended for successfully integrating social media into their business, marketing and customer relationship strategies,” said digital and social media manager at Bord Gáis Energy Eoin Ó Súilleabháin.
It’s always a pleasure to work with the Meteor team and we’re delighted with their latest success!
We’ve all seen it happen. Company websites that are developed at great expense, then due to insufficient promotion and poor quality SEO, they languish, providing no added benefit. If you’re not on the first page of results for your chosen keywords, you’re unlikely to receive any traffic from this source.
Although SEO is only one cog in the wheel of a website’s success, it is a vital tool that must be planned, managed and regularly maintained to achieve high organic placement on search engine result pages.
These are just some of the elements that should be considered when developing your SEO strategy:
Keywords
Companies often make the mistake of using only jargon or industry terminology when devising their keywords. Remember that it’s what your visitors will search for that counts, and that’s not necessarily what you think it will be. Research is key - find out what your visitors are looking for and make sure your keywords reflect this. Your log files will be useful in determining the most commonly searched for terms.
Also ensure that your keywords are incorporated into your page titling, headings and within the body content of each page. Search engines will want to see that the content displayed in the page is reflective of the titles and headings.
Have a look at what your competitors are doing, especially those that are achieving top 5 organic ranking on the search engines. This will give you a good starting point to surpass what they are doing.
Link Building
Most search engines rate a site depending on how many other sources are linking to it. The value of the link is dependent on the quality of the source that is linking to you, but all are recorded and relevant to a degree. It is presumed that if your site has a lot of incoming external links that you are providing relevant, good quality content.
Visitors are coming to your site for information - give it to them. The more respected you become within your field, the more links you will build from trusted sources.
If you’re launching a new site, a pay-per-click campaign will go a long way to establishing brand awareness and generating traffic. It is not always a viable long-term solution, but it’s certainly a useful method of achieving initial results that will build your SEO strategy in the future.
Directories, RSS & Social Bookmarking
This is a standard procedure that should be included in your website development. Submission to free directories such as DMOZ and Yahoo! are a good start but don’t underestimate the importance of paid directories that are relevant to your industry. Whether the directory is free or paid for, ensure that it is a quality source. Your local Chamber of Commerce, city resources and Wikipedia are also good sources for easy, quality linking.
Submit your quality content links to Digg and Del.icio.us. If they’re listed and popular it will generate lots of traffic to your site. RSS directories are similar to web directories, but contain collections of RSS feeds, instead of links to web sites.
Viral Marketing & Content Provision
If you’re generating good quality content, utilise it. There are a plethora of news, industry and information sites that are constantly looking for data. If you can syndicate your content to them, ensuring they provide a link to your site in return, you are easily generating constant, quality awareness of your brand and your expertise.
Don’t try and make a silk purse out of a sows ear. If you’re not providing useful, relevant content, don’t expect to achieve a high ranking. Write original content and make sure it’s accurate. Make it interesting and valuable to your visitors.
Blog It
Start to blog and make it a ‘must visit’ resource for your visitors. Not only will it encourage you to keep an eye on what’s going on, but you’ll soon find that others will take notice. If the articles are interesting you’ll begin to get referenced, establishing a following and generating links to your site.
Don’t Rush
SEO takes time. Don’t expect instant results and know that there’s no finite timeframe. You’ll need to constantly adapt your strategy and content based on visitor requirements. You’ll also need to stay abreast of industry developments and share them with your customers. If you follow the rules, you’ll gain ground and should achieve the ranking you deserve.
To request a meeting to further discuss your SEO requirements, contact us here.
Toyota Regains Top Spot As World’s Most Valuable Automotive Brand
Toyota maintained the crown as the most valuable automotive brand for five consecutive years in the BrandZ report since it was first published in 2006, briefly featuring at the number two spot in 2010.
According to the report’s authors, one reason for Toyota’s resurgence in the latest edition of the report can be attributed to the overall resilience of the Toyota brand to overcome last year’s crisis in North America.
In addition, Toyota’s innovative full hybrid powertrain, found in an ever increasing number of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, remains the market leader thanks to its outstanding environmental and fuel efficient performances.
For Toyota, this result shows that the company’s efforts to connect with stakeholders with sincerity are well received. Toyota continues to conduct its business following the company’s Guiding Principles, and together with the Toyota Global Vision, aims to bring smiles to the faces of customers by exceeding expectations.
Lexus returns to the report’s Top 10 most valuable automotive brands with a brand value of US$ 3.7 billion (€ 2.6 billion).
Researchers at Millward Brown Optimer compile the annual brand value report by analysing the financial and business performances sourced from BrandZ, Bloomberg and Datamonitor™. The research company also conducts consumer surveys globally to evaluate the brand and its ability to generate demand.
The Irish Pride site has just been updated with a host of new features to help you and your family stay healthy and eat a balanced diet.
Julie Dowsett, a dietitian with over 20 years experience and a fellow of the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute, is now answering your dietary queries in the ‘Ash The Dietitian’ section.
The new ‘Healthy Eating Guide’ has many features including a ‘Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator’, ‘Making the Food Pyramid Work for You’ and ‘10 Steps to a Healthier You’.
With information and advice for all the family, from Toddlers to the Over 55s, all your dietary questions will be satisfied.
AIGA has organised a Worldwide Day to debate design and G6 is taking part.
Add your voice to an open, digital dialogue on design. One Day For Design brings together a global community of designers and design enthusiasts to exchange ideas, challenge viewpoints and push boundaries - collaborating in real time on the future of our profession and the organizations behind it.
Spread the word.
Moderators of the event include: Alex Bogusky, Doug Bowman, Liz Danzico, Debbie Millman, Erik Spiekermann, Armin Vit, Alissa Walker and Katherine Walker.
Join the conversation in Room G6 where we will be taking part in the event from the opening moments. We will be joined online by other designers to take part in this worldwide event, debate what Ireland’s role is, what it might be and make a meaningful contribution to the discussion.
G6 Presents: One Day for Design
17:00pm to 22:00 Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Lecture Room G6, School of Art Design and Printing
Dublin Institute of Technology, 41 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1 http://www.aiga.org http://www.onedayfordesign.org
With the increasingly advanced development of mobile technology and the heightened usage by consumers for both mobile searching and purchasing, many more business owners are standing up and taking stock to ensure they’re utilising mobile web as part of their marketing strategy.
Analysts are predicting rapid increases in mobile web sales with some suggesting a figure of close to €3 billion by 2015, a vast increase on the €24.5 million spend of last year. Google have recently provided data on mobile internet searching, revealing that over 33% of mobile users search for localised content - services, products or addresses in close proximity.
Local and real-time searching is now an essential tool for targeting potential customers, especially as search engine applications for mobile devices are beginning to include your current GPS location in your mobile web search. Because mobile SEO can be very focused on location, it is now easier than ever to reach targeted markets within your own community or districts.
The introduction of smartphones, with larger screens and touch screen HTML browsers has increased the usability and appeal of mobile web browsing. Factor this along with the increase in mobile web speeds, and you’ve got new levels of functionality and personalisation.
How well your pages render on a mobile unit is fast becoming a vital evaluation in how well you rank, so it’s imperative that your site takes mobile browsing into consideration. With Google Adwords providing the ability to target mobile phones as well as traditional devices, you ignore this tool at your peril.
In the first three months of 2010, there was an increase of over 60% in search activity by iPhone and Android devices over the previous three months. With the introduction of ‘Click-to-Call” search ads, this increase is set to continue.
Apps are also a sure-fire way to increase traffic, sales and brand recognition, as long as there is real value to the consumer. So put simply, ignoring mobile web search and sales will ensure you’re left behind in an ever developing market.
To find out how you can harness mobile marketing, contact us here.
BrilliantRetail is a robust ExpressionEngine extension that offers advanced e-commerce functionality. Built into a Content Management System (CMS), clients can now update their own home page promo and create a product promo within the same admin.
With no monthly fee, no percentage of sales and no special host restrictions, BrilliantRetail allows you to get down to business sooner - with enough budget left over for advertising and online marketing.
ExpressionEngine is a Content Management System focused on business websites. It has a thriving developer community and over 1000 add-on’s making it easy to extend. Framework Design is now developing eCommerce websites using ExpressionEngine and the BrilliantRetail extension, so if you’re looking to expand your markets, reach a new client base and to get your product online, get in touch now for a quotation.
Despite the uncertainty of Ireland’s economic future, now is the time to plan your strategy and gain market share over your competitors. You now need to focus your efforts on both effective and cost effective marketing techniques. Investment in traditional marketing and advertising methods is just not cutting it with a media weary customer base, whereas investment in online marketing can provide clear, quantitative and reactive results at a much lower cost to your company.
To rise above the national and international malaise, you’ll need to be clearly and regularly responding to your customer’s requirements. Many solutions already exist to enable you to relay your products, services, current offers and promotions directly to your customers. Companies can tend to make the mistake of reigning in their marketing budgets when an economic downturn hits, but the opposite will ensure you’re highly visible within your market and will make a marked difference to your sales figures.
Current Web Content
A company website is often a first port of call for any customer researching a company. It’s your shop window, a marketing tool that is open 24 hours a day. Sites that are not part of an overall marketing strategy or that have uninspiring or dated content may be doing more harm than good. Regularly updated sites with clear calls to action and defined lead generation will provide a customer that is ready to make a deal. Ensure your site has an integrated content management system for regular internal content updates.
Search Engine Optimisation
Remarkably, many companies, even those with stellar websites, have not invested in a strategic SEO or SEM plan. Meta data revision and monitoring, keyword analysis, link generation, search engine submission, canonicalization and sitemap generation all go a long way to driving traffic to your site. Increased traffic will lead to increased sales leads. You can have the best site in the world, but if customers do not know it exists, it’s useless.
Email Marketing
We’re in regular contact with our customers, or at least we should be. How many of us are sitting on a valuable, under-utilised resource - a database of previous and potential customer emails? By providing informative, useful or beneficial content directly to your customers, you’ll increase your chances of converting that contact into revenue. Keep in touch regularly, but ensure that the content is either educating them, saving them money or advising on how their overheads can be reduced.
Incentive Led Promotions
We all want something for free - it’s in our nature! Including an incentive in your offer or campaign will certainly yield a higher response rate. The incentive does not have to be enormous, but at least attractive enough for further investigation. By providing, for example, a prize draw or reduced rates to registered customers, you’ll quickly build a loyal customer following. The incentive should be directed towards your specific target market and should reflect their likely requirements.
Referral Campaigns
This form of marketing has become more prevalent in today’s market. By getting your customers to sign up their friends or contacts, you’re opening up a hugely extended net of potential clients. It can simply be a ‘Thank you’ to your existing customers for their continued referrals or a discount on their next purchase for signing up 5 other contacts. Again, some thought should go into devising a plan that specifically targets your intended or existing markets.
Blogs
Blogging is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it ensure you’re staying abreast of industry trends in order to pass them on to your readers, but it’s a highly prolific way of advertising your knowledge base and industry expertise. Who knows, something you’ve written may get referenced elsewhere, widening the intended audience. It is also a valuable source for SEO, brand building, relationship marketing and media and public relations.
Social Media & Social Networking
Whether you’re customer base is B2B or B2C, there’s a social network there to promote and publicize your goods or services. With Facebook now surpassing Google in some markets it’s clearly a must for any self respecting brand looking to converse directly with their consumer base. Linkedin is an example of how an excellent B2B social network can increase your profile. Twitter can be used to talk directly to any market. Irrespective of which network you choose (Facebook, linkedIn, Twitter, Bebo, delicious, Mumsnet, etc) , it can generate qualified leads, reduce overall marketing expenses, provide valuable exposure, increase your search rankings and drive traffic to your site.
Microsites
Usually concentrating on a specific offer, service, event or product a Microsite is an excellent method of providing a marketing message outside of the overall branding message of your parent site. They are highly targeted promotional tools that communicate directly with a specified audience. They enable you to provide more in-depth detail than you would maybe supply on a parent site and search engines love them for their relevant keywords focused around a particular product or service. These are excellent tools for product launches, competition registration and event management among others.
Don’t lose focus and reduce your budget during a recession - invest, grow and prosper. Whatever your requirements for online marketing, we’d be happy to meet with you to devise a plan that best suits you and your customers. Click here to contact us.
We’d hoped to get it out earlier in the new year, but better late than never. Yes, we’ve just released the latest version of CANDY, our PDF magazine, and we hope you like it!
The Troubled Soul Issue features an exclusive interview with LA skateboard legend Buddy Carr and his graphic collaborator Antonio Carusone from New York. Also featured are some killer slides from both Heiko Muller and Stina Persson, both of whom are creatively on top form.
So in the spirit of freedom, we hope you’ll forward this on to someone you think would like it. Or even better, post it somewhere people will see it and get the same great feeling we do when promoting good work.
Not content with taking a clear No. 1 position in the Irish motor market, Toyota Ireland have just launched the latest edition to their suite - the Toyota Accessories site.
Whether it’s alloy wheels for your AYGO or a Bluetooth Phone Kit for your RAV4, you can find it here.
With regular promotions and thousands of Toyota parts listed, make this your first stop for your accessory needs.
We are seeking full-time applicants for the role of Senior Web Designer for our dynamic multimedia firm.
What are we looking for?
As our senior front-end designer, your primary focus will be to apply your web design skills to conceptualise and execute outstanding graphic user interfaces, web strategies, and visual elements while forming a productive creative partnership with our managing director and leading web developer.
What do you need?
• Degree in design or equitable experience.
• Minimum of 5 years prior agency experience in web development.
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite 4/5 (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash).
• Proficient with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and/or XML, XHTML, Actionscript (HTML5 & CSS3 a plus).
• Ability to drive projects from concept to launch (ie, site architecture, wireframing, concept development, typography, image use, production techniques & front end web programming).
• Experience working with back-end developers (PHP, ASP, .Net) building database-driven content sites.
• Experience working with and designing for common CMS’s including: WordPress, ExpressionEngine and Magento.
• A strong understanding of web design, best practices, usability techniques, and the technical capabilities and limitations of the web.
• Experience with site beta testing across multiple platforms and browser types.
• Ability to project manage multiple concurrent projects for a variety of clients.
• Proven record of delivering high-quality design and front-end code with tight deadlines.
• Ability to conform to shifting priorities and to execute tasks in a high-pressured, creative environment.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• SEO and Social Media Promotion a plus.
To apply, please send us your CV and a portfolio link to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with Senior Web Designer Application in the subject line.
Congratulations to our clients Learnosity who have been shortlisted in the ‘Best in e-Learning’ category at the 2011 Digital Media Awards.
Judged by a panel of industry experts, the DMAs have been honouring excellence in the digital sector since 2003, with a record number of entries across the 20 categories submitted this year.
The Best in e-Learning category recognises unique interactive learning experiences and innovation or excellence in the use of digital technology to deliver e-learning or training.
The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in the Convention Centre Dublin on 11th February. The host for the evening will be Mark Little the well known Irish journalist, television presenter, author and social media visionary.
We are delighted with their nomination and wish them the best of luck on the night.
The new eCommerce enabled Kartel website has just gone live at http://www.kartel.ie. Packed full of superior design tailoring, there is something their for everyone from quality golf clothing to a full range of leisurewear including jeans, shirts, polos and knitwear.
For over 25 years Kartel has been servicing the golf and leisurewear market and have become synonymous with high performance, teamed with superior styling. In 1997 they signed an emerging Irish golfer, Padraig Harrington. Since then, their partnership has gone from strength to strength and they have supported Padraig throughout his three major wins.
Kartel was the Official Clothing Supplier to the 3 Irish Open for the third consecutive year in 2010. They were also the Official Clothing Supplier to the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2009 and 2010.
Framework aided in the development of their brand story, establishing the tagline, tone and image storyboarding required to modernise this established brand. We then applied these new brand values to a highly functioning, SEO and user-focused eCommerce site that achieves excellent brand penetration and is both market and sales focused.
Show-EE is the official ExpressionEngine Content Managements System (CMS) showcase gallery for the best designed and built ExpressionEngine sites on the internet.
Show-ee was created by Jeff Claeson of Dreamtime and Marcus Neto of Blue Fish Design Studio. They wanted a place that the ExpressionEngine community could use to showcase their work.
“Because ExpressionEngine is so flexible it is interesting to see how other developers utilize that flexibility. Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive listing of ExpressionEngine sites anywhere. At the same time we want to keep the quality of the sites as high as possible. We base that on not only design aesthetic but also the details of the ExpressionEngine implementation.”
ExpressionEngine is a commercial Content Management System (CMS) built on an Open Source foundation. It’s codebase is 100% open, transparent and extensible making it a good fit with a lot of our client sites.
We’re very proud to have been featured on Show-EE, particularly so soon after launch!
Unsurprisingly, Irish retailers have been slow to adopt the internet as an integral part of their sales plans. This may be in response to the fear some of us have had previously about providing credit card information online. Or perhaps it is because our nationwide broadband can be slow. However, with more and more Irish consumers chasing online bargains, and with broadband now more widely available, a sudden surge in online retailing has taken Ireland by storm.
We’ve become accustomed to researching product online and price comparison is commonplace. Now that Irish retailers are jockeying for sales with endless competitors worldwide, we need to provide excellent product, value for money, efficient fulfillment and a varied and regularly changing stock.
Unbelievably, some of our largest domestic brands are still not trading online. With newly formed competitors snapping at their heels, this may prove to be damaging to their spreadsheets. We’re traditionally a nation who enjoy value and choice and the ease with which you can compare online is informing our purchasing habits. Forcing our customers to spend their hard-earned cash with local and overseas competitors is shortsighted, but easily allayed.
When setting up an online store, you’re not only making your product available to your local traffic, but to any customer world-wide that has accessed your site and to whom you’re willing to deliver. Additionally, the cost of expansion into new and diverse markets is minimal in comparison to traditional expansion expenditure. There is no need to store vast amounts of stock and product can be relatively easily turned over on a regular basis.
Finally, good quality product imagery and clear, informative product descriptions can go a long way to ensuring excellent SEO.
Now is definitely the time to maximise your sales potential by investing in an eCommerce store. Let us take you through the options and find the right solution for your business model. To arrange a call back or to book a meeting, click here.
Some eCommerce sites developed by Framework Design include:
Never before has it been so important to have a direct dialogue with your customers. Gone are the days when ineffective banner advertising was considered the cutting-edge of online marketing. The seismic shift in techniques has opened up a whole array of emerging technologies such as:
- Email Marketing
- Social Networking
- Blog Marketing
- Video Marketing
- Incentive Led Campaigns
- Search Engine Optimisation
Whilst it might seem daunting at first, the benefits of embracing online marketing can be considerable. In the current economic climate budgets are being stretched and we are all seeking methods to market our products and services efficiently and more effectively. Unlike traditional advertising techniques, online marketing offers you the opportunity to track real-time results, convert customers instantly, target specific demographics and make changes to your campaign immediately in response to monitoring, tracking and performance.
Which format of online marketing you choose very much depends on your objectives and your target demographic. Whilst social networking is an excellent tool for interacting and generating a community of dedicated and loyal B2C consumers, a specifically planned, incentive-led Email Campaign might be more suitable for B2B sales promotion.
But remember that the traditional rules of marketing still apply - it’s only the arena that has changed.
Harnessing its potential is easier than you think. We’d be delighted to meet with you to discuss how an Online Marketing Plan can achieve brand awareness, drive new customer conversions and increase your sales prospects. To arrange a call or request a meeting click here.
Version 2 of the Candy Magazine App is now available via iTunes for both iPhone and iPad.
Framework design and develop the http://www.candycollective.com/ website as part of our commitment to promoting excellence in design.
Launched June 2005 to showcase Irish creativity alongside international equivalents to a worldwide audience, Candy have since produced 13 issues to worldwide audiences. The two most recent issues are available to purchase on iTunes.
With themes including Photography and the Society 6 issue, the magazine continues to act as a source of inspiration to creative folk in all fields.
Look out for several new issues due out in 2011, all of which will be available for your iPhone and iPad.
We have just won the account to develop a new website for Setanta Asset Management, the primary asset manager for Canada Life in Ireland and other European countries.
Setanta was established in Dublin in 1998 and has grown steadily since then, now managing €4.9bn (Sep 2010) in assets for Great–West Lifeco Inc group companies with clients in Ireland, Germany and Canada as well as other third party institutions.
We will be developing a new user-focused site and integrating a content management system. The new site will go live early in the new year.
The new site for the Craft Council of Ireland has just been launched. Designed and developed to promote the sale of Irish craft, http://www.giveirishcraft.com/ enables the user to view selected products under groupings of Jewellery, Pottery & Ceramics, Fashion & Accessories and Home & Gifts.
The site showcases contemporary craftwork created by Irish makers that combines the highest quality craftsmanship with a consideration of material and technique that sits comfortably on the international stage. A diverse range of creative products is on view and also included is information on the Makers throughout the country as well as the Stockist locations and contact details.
Designed by CodyDelahunty and built by Framework Design, the result is a successful promotional site that encourages the purchase of authentic Irish-made crafts.
The latest edition of Candy Magazine has just been launched. Curated in collaboration with our good friends on the west coast of the United States that is America, this issue is promoting the work of 15 very talented up and coming creatives.
Includes inspirational work from the likes of Clemens Behr, Paul Octavious, Westandbydesign and Tom Kitchen to name a few. So, if you’re an established professional looking for fresh insights or newly qualified and seeking knowledge on how these young guns are making their mark, this issue is for you.
Available to download from here and to purchase for your iPhone/iPad here
We have just launched the new Digicom Events site. Designed to promote and manage all Digicom promotional activities, the site is currently featuring the Aviva Stadium event.
An Irish firm specialising in audio-visual and document management equipment and services, Digicom required a suite of marketing tools, including an events microsite (editable via CMS), a range of eNotification templates, incentive led programs and an online gallery for after promotion display.
The integrated campaign and all associated marketing activities also included content development and has been hugely successful in generating interest in their company events and developing brand awareness.
